Electrolytic method and apparatus



` Patented Aug; 29, 1922.

1.1. SHERWOOD.

. ELECTROLYTIC METHOD AND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2o, Isso.

W d W 6.

Z H l o iran STA rss t PATENT OFFRE@- v:msnen a. ennawoon, or s'r. Leurs, mssoimr, AssrcNoa- 'ro 'nooxnn mEcrnoj CHEMIGAL GMPANY, AFk NEW .YORK5 N. Y., A conrom'rronor Nnvjvftronx.

ELEcTRoLYrIc irnrnon un APPA'ETUS.

mentale.

To all whom it may concern.' i'

Be it known -that I, JOSEPH J. SHERwooD, a citizen of the United States,residing.at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have' inventedc'ertain new and useful Im`' provements in Electrolytic Methods .and Aparat'us," of which the following isa speci-- cation'.

It is known that in the operation of electrolytic cells yielding a gaseous anode product at a substantially vertical face,l there-.is a u marked tendency, when relatively high anodes are used, for the upwardly'rising gas toaccumulate opposite the upper regions -of theelectrode `in suilicient volume to reduce materially the active electrode surface, or

the quantity' of electrolyte available for carrying `the current, and thereby vto increasemateriallypthe operatingvoltage. 'A typical exampleof this isa c'e l for the production of caustic soda 'and chlorin by the electrolysis of sodium chlorid solutions, using vertical anodes of graphite. In such case it has been found preferable in high -amperage cells 'that the'` anodes shouldbe of limited vertical height with reference 'tolth'eir horizontal extension, :in orderthat the operating voltage for a given current density may -of great vertical height may bein part overn 'come by divertin the chlorin or other gas- 1 eous product to t e rear of. the 'anode at regular intervals in itssvertic'al height; but Aall lsuch arrangements heretofore proposed, so

far as am aware, resent the serious defect' that if they are e ective' to divert'the gas.

' from the active anode face, they obstruct. or

y votherwise 'interfere with-the circulationl of ".termedi'ate their height'withchanneled m the' brinewhich is necessa to maintain the concentration'of the electro yte at the'proper.

electrode faces. l

The present invention relatesY to ga method and apparatus whereby the above objections are overcome, in. 'such manner' that the evolvedv as may be withdrawn from the acplied to such face.,

I tive-ano e faceiwhile at the same time `brine of a proper concentration is "directly sup' Specication ofLetters Patent; Patented Application fue@ maren 2o, 1920. serial No. 337,583.

-an insulating member 21 carri -base 10 of the cell,and extend vertically A typical construction in accordance with this invention' is 'illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, wherein :-y

Angles,

- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an electrolytic cell intended primarily for the electrolysis of brine solutions andA embodying my invention; and

Figure -2 is. a-,plan view of a preferred.'

form of gas-intercepterv and brine I4distributor'.

The electrolytic cell is illustrated as' of the usual type comprising-a cement body portion consisting of ahorizontalbottom inem.r

ber 10, vertical end members 11,an'd a cover 12.` These several membersconstitute an `open-sided frame, to the sides-ot which are applied the perforated steel 'cathode plates 13 faced interiorlyA with asbestos-paper or other suitable diaphragm material 14,. The cathodes are enclosed by 't ye 'usual recessed .side plates 15 of steel, formlng lateral'cathoutletsfl `for the caustic s outlets 18 for hydrogen.

19, '19 represent the phite andes, shown as disposed parallelrfo the vertical ode compartments 16, proviged with bottom lution, and top 1,.

cathodes 13 and* adjacent thereto. y20,1 20 l are graphite posts, secured to'and supporting the active anode plates 19, and 'constituting th current leads. In the form chosen for illustration thesepostsare su ported on ed) upon. the

ythrough the cover 12, terminating in metal v vcaps 22 for connection to the anode buss-bars 23; The cathode :buss-bars are indicated at `.24. The 'upper ends of the anode posts may be enclosed 1n stoneware. or other sleeves 215, and if desired a suitab linsulating compound. 26 may be used 'as a seal vto prevent gas'leakage.

As clearly illustrated in the drawing,` the anodes are provided 'ata point or pointsinprotective e plastic v`trated'in plan Fig.'2., These members are t and divert therising a ieg. 1. rr-efmbi the ggsmmaears wie project thi-cuginiA e'interepaee between the electrodes into contact with'the inner. fees` of thediaphragms 14, as illustratedl in this igure v In the' .particular form chosen for illustration each gas intercepter isrovided at :horizontal or if preferred somewhat inclined gas channel 29, leading to a trans verse duct3()(Figs. 1 and 2) which .extends from the front to the rear of the anode, and serves as will be readily understood to dis.

'charge the collected bythe channel 29 at the rear anode face.

If desiredfthe gas may be permitted to discharge freely into the electrolyte at the rear ofthe anode. Y It is preferred however, inv order to avoid `any substantial return ofjthe gas to the active anode face, to provide a more or less defined channel through whichv lthegas may be led to the surface of the eyectrolyte" (indicated at 31) or even if One sult comprises short inclined tubes 32, which may be of, glass, connecting lwith the ducts and discharging the collected gas into vertical tubes 33, each' of which may be provided if desired with a bottom rcollecting funnel 34:. Obviously many other arran ements may be employed'to secure the e sired' result. y

As-above ointed outit'` is not sufficient merely -to divert the gas from the active `anode face, but fresh electrolyte must be supplied directlyto this-face without mutual interference between the respective currents of gas and electrolyte. In the specific construction illustrated I accomplish this by the provieionof a yplurality of inclined ducts 35 (Figs. 1 and 2) traversing the insulating member 27 from the rear to a pluralit vof oints adjacent the lactive anode ace. hrough these the lelectrolytel circulates rapidlyyin the direction indicated/.by the i arrows to 4replace the depleted Velectrolyte entrained by the rearwardly moving gas stream.' In this manner the necessary sup# ply of fresh electrolyte at the regions of ac' tive `electrolysis is assured. x

`. My invention is not limited to the specific form and arrangement .of parts chosen' for illustration, inasmuch asjthese are susceptible of being modified in numerous waysv without departing `from the spirit of my invention. 'For exam le'the gas interceptersl may be -supported Y either or both of the electrodes orginde nv ently of either electrode; vand obvious y the ducts communicating with the active electrode face ma -be formed wholly or partly within the bo y 'of the electrode, instead of wholly within the bod of -the intercepter. as 'illustratedrl rese and 1. The hereindescribed electrolytic method comprising electrolyzing a solution yielding a gaseous product, diverting the evo ved gas from the active electrode face at a point or Q points intermediate the top and bottom thereof; and simultaneously supplying fresh l electrolyte directly to the active electrode face intermediate the top and bottom thereof, whereby interference of the infiowing electrolytewith the diversion 'of the gas is avoided.

' 2. In an electrol tic-cell, the combination with an electrode aving an upright active face, of means located intermediate thel top and bottom of the electrode `for divertin evolved' gas from` the active face thereof, and means for supplying electrolyte directly to 4the active electrode face intermediate the top and bottom thereof, 'whereby interference of the -inilowing electrolyte with the diversion of the gas is avoided.

3. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with upright electrode members in spaced relation to each other, of'a gas intercepter located between the electrode members and having` a rearwardly extending gas duct.

4. In an electrolytic cell, thecombination with upright electrode members in spaced relation to each other, of a gas intercepter located between the electrode members and 'having independent ducts for gas and electrolyte extending between the front and `rear faces of the electrode.

5. In an electrolytic cell, the combination .with an electrode having a substantially vertical active face, of a gas intercepter pro1 xecting from the active electrode face and avin a rearwardly extending gas duct. 6. n an electrolytic cell, the combination with an electrode having a substantially vertical active face, of a gas'intercepter projecting from the active electrode face and. i

' having independent ducts for gas and elecv trolyte extending between the front and rear yfaces of the electrode. K v

7. In an electrolyjtic cell, the combination with opposite upright electrodes each comprising a plurality of electrode members, of Lg'aSntercepterslocatedfbetween the electrode members and having rearwardlyextending" gas ducts.

.with opposite upright electrodes each comprising a pluralit of electrode members`,jof

e. .n1 an electrolyte-al1, the combigaun y 120.,

gasintercepters ocated between the elec f trede members and having rearwardly. exj-tending gas ducts, and a conduit between the electrodes for conveying the gas to a poi-nt above the surface of the electrolyte.-

QI. J. SHE @im In testimony whereof, I'a m si 5nature.

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